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The Lifelong Gift
Live Action short film script
"The Lifelong Gift" was originally written in 2019 as an entry to "A Place Called Sacramento" short film competition. When it was passed over at Access Sacramento plans to produce the film as an indie project fell apart in March 2020 due to COVID-19. In April of 2020 Circle B Productions LLC decided to reorganize and focus uniquely on 3D Photorealistic Animation Feature Films. It appeared the opportunity to produce "The Lifelong Gift" had come and gone. Then in 2023 Executive Producer Todd Bull met with Chicago based filmmaker Dre Boyd and they discussed reviving "The Lifelong Gift" because they felt the story should be told. Circle B Productions LLC and Draystafilms began looking for funding in 2024 while each firm proceeded with ongoing projects. The script was rewritten again in 2025 in order to submit a grant proposal to Robert Craig Films.
An African-American High School student is stretched thin protecting his scholarship to UC Berkeley, holding down his job at Burger Box, and navigating his parents crumbling marriage, but the situation turns from hard to unbearable when his mother becomes wheelchair bound in a drunk driving accident and she crawls deeper into a bottle.
In his last year of High School, a brilliant African-American Physics student, Jalen Franklin, struggles to attend enough classes to maintain his earned scholarship to UC Berkeley after a drunken car accident leaves his mother Ashlyn wheelchair bound and his father Malik deciding its time to become sober in the arms of another woman... his wife's sister Alice. Ashlyn's recreational drinking explodes into a full time pursuit of Jack Daniels and Opioids leaving Jalen an overwhelmed caretaker battling the school system bent on denying his graduation and the end of his scholarship.
Jalen’s daily struggle is to cut through his mother’s loneliness, self-destruction and incoherence is turned upside down when it's revealed for months Ashlyn sabotaged meditation efforts offered by the school district in her desire to keep Jalen home attending a local JC and forgoing his UC Berkeley scholarship opportunity. Now with Christmas looming, he must motivate his mom to take control of her life before she harms herself further and extinguishes Jalen’s chances to break free and lead a better life.
Just when it seems all is lost Physics Teacher Miles Foster and School Counselor Mina Lee intervene on Jaden's behalf and provide a glimmer of light at the end of a dark tunnel. In a late night emergency counseling meeting Jalen tells Miles and Mina "Everything's Falling apart. I can't find a way out. I've lost!" Miles answers "You're never alone it just seems that way sometimes." Jalen thunders back "Come on it's a pipe dream. I'd have to fight her every step of the way." Calmly Mina reminds Jalen " Every dream is worth fighting for...."
